Prodigal Harold
by Im-On-A-Roll
Summary: While vacationing at the beach with his friends, Harold will meet an attractive older girl who he thinks he might have a chance with. But soon, he will learn the hard way that you can't judge a book by its cover.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1 _

It all began on a day that seemed very familiar to the five sons and five fathers. Arnold, Gerald, Harold, Side, Eugene and their dads had all packed up the familiar orange van and were now driving along singing songs to pass the time. No, they were not driving to the lake for another disastrous fishing trip. This story takes place a few months after that fiasco, about halfway through June. And rather than camping out in the woods, where wild animals and bad weather had ruined their trip before, they planned to stay in a beach house for the week to relax and renew.

"You boys excited?" asked Martin Johansson, who was driving the van.

"As long as this is an improvement to the last father-son trip, then yeah," Gerald replied.

"Oh, come on, Gerald," said Arnold (Mister Optimistic). "Nothing's better than summer at the beach. Besides, I think we can all agree that anything's better than the last trip."

The answer he received was a unanimous, "Yes."

"Honestly, I'd really never talk about that again," said Sid.

"Then let's stop talking and start singing!" said Eugene.

"That's the spirit, son," Nate, his father, replied. "It's your turn to pick. What'll it be?"

Eugene needed no time to think. "How 'bout we stick to tradition and go with 'Miss Susie…'"

"No!" shouted Harold. "Not that song! Anything but that song!"

The others all stared at him in shock.

"Why, Harold?" asked his father Jerry. "I thought you liked it."

"I _did_," Harold confessed. "But we sang it on the last trip and everything went downhill from there. I want this trip to be as unlike the last one as possible."

For several seconds, everyone was silent.

"You followin' this?" Gerald whispered to Arnold.

"Nope," Arnold whispered back.

Jerry was the first to break the silence. "Son, it's nice that you want the trip to be a good one, but I seriously doubt that the song was the thing that ruined everything last time."

"I know, but still," was all Harold managed to say in response.

Jerry put a hand on Harold's back. "Harold, I can't make any promises, but it seems pretty safe to say that this trip won't end like the last one. We'll be at the beach, pretty much the exact opposite of where we went last time. That means there won't be any bears."

"Or canned beans," said Gerald.

"Exactly," said Jerry.

"Or rabid raccoons," said Sid.

"Or tents to lose," said Arnold.

"Or biting fish," said Ray, Sid's father. "… Hopefully."

"Or skunk cabbage," said Martin.

"Or rain," said Eugene.

"Or hale," said Nate.

"Or frogs," said Grandpa Phil.

"Alright, everyone," Jerry interrupted. "I think we've all made our point: This trip will be more of a success than the last one."

The others nodded in agreement and continued talking amongst themselves.

As soon as the others were out of earshot, Jerry cupped his hand over his mouth to whisper something to Harold.

"Also, I didn't want to let the others know, but I have something special planned for you and me."

Harold liked the sound of that, so much in fact that he forgot to whisper. "What is…"

"Shh." Jerry put his hand over Harold's mouth to silence him. He then looked around to make sure no one else had heard him. They hadn't, so Jerry continued. "I can't tell you now, it's a surprise. You'll find out on Friday."

"Friday?" said Harold, this time he remembered to whisper. "That's four whole days away."

"Trust me, it'll be worth the wait," Jerry said with a wink.

"Okay."

"And remember," Jerry continued. "Not a word to any of the others."

"Got it."

"And one more thing," Jerry said, in slightly less of a whisper than before.

"Yeah?"

"This time, don't eat any old whipped cream," said Jerry with a hint of a laugh.

Harold rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone still remind me of that?"

Harold remained silent for the rest of the van ride. A lot of questions were on his mind. What was this big surprise his dad had planned for them? Why did he have to keep it a secret from the others? Would this trip truly be better than the last one? Most importantly, what were they going to have for lunch when they arrived at the beach house?

_End of chapter_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Less than an hour later, they reached their destination. Martin pulled the van up to their beach house, which was four blocks away from the beach.

"Well," he said as he put the van into park, "it may not have the best view of the ocean, but it's better than a tent."

The others exchanged a few comments in agreement and then they all began unpacking. Barely a minute in, Eugene was struggling to pull a rolled up blanket from the huge pile of stuff in the back of the van.

"You sure you don't want a hand there, Son?" asked Nate.

"Don't worry, Dad," Eugene assured him. "I've got it."

Seconds later, he managed to get the blanket free with one final tug. Unfortunately, he'd pulled so hard that as soon as the blanket was free, it went flying into a nearby bunch of garbage cans… taking Eugene with it.

Nate rushed over to aid his son. "Eugene! Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Eugene replied as a garbage can lid spun on his head.

Nate sighed and gave a thumbs-up to the others. "He's okay!"

"Well, it hasn't even been five minutes and already we're off to the same start as last time," said Gerald.

"Not exactly," said Sid. "Last time it was a tent pole. This time it's a blanket."

"Come on, guys," said Arnold. "It's not some kind of curse, it's just Eugene being Eugene."

"Whatever you say, Arnold," Gerald replied.

Harold, however, wasn't convinced. He gulped nervously and said to his father, "Well if I wasn't convinced before, I am now."

Jerry, it seemed, was only half listening. The other half of him was rummaging through the back of the van looking for something.

"We may have a bigger crisis on our hands than that if I don't find my wallet, Son," said Jerry. "You think you can help me find it?"

"Sure," Harold replied.

Harold let his father search in the pile and began looking under the van. After about a minute, he came to the conclusion that it wasn't there. Jerry was still digging through the pile, so it most likely wasn't there either. Then it struck Harold. He hurriedly pulled the passenger doors of the van open and found the wallet on the spot where his father had been sitting.

"Found it, Dad!" he called to Jerry.

He picked it up. To his surprise, it felt unusually full. Within seconds, Jerry was at his side to claim the wallet.

"Thanks, Son."

Harold didn't give it up right away. He eyed it suspiciously for a moment.

"Harold?" Jerry asked.

Harold didn't appear to be listening. He curiously opened the wallet and his jaw nearly hit the ground. His father's wallet was overflowing with twenty-dollar bills: more of them than he could even count. He snapped out of his state of shock when Jerry's hand suddenly snatched the wallet from his grasp.

"I'll take that, you little prier," Jerry said with a small smile.

"Dad, where'd you get all that money?" asked Harold, apparently still in shock.

Jerry sighed. "I guess the cat's out of the bag," he said. "I've been saving up for that surprise I told you about."

"For how long?" Harold asked.

"Not too long," Jerry admitted. "A month or so."

"Dang," said Harold. "How much is in there?"

Jerry leaned closer to his son to make sure the others didn't hear and whispered, "Four hundred dollars."

"FOUR HUNDRED…"

Jerry hurriedly threw his hand over Harold's mouth again. "Shh. That's right, four hundred dollars."

"Wow, that must be a _big_ surprise," said Harold.

"It is," said Jerry. "And believe me it'll be worth every penny."

"Excuse me?" said an unfamiliar feminine voice.

Harold and Jerry turned their heads in the direction the voice had come from. Only a few feet in front of them was a young girl of about fifteen. Harold stared at her looking dumbfounded, mainly because she was extremely beautiful. About Harold's height, gracefully thin, big blue eyes, wavy blonde hair, and ivory skin. Harold could sweat he suddenly heard angels singing as the sunlight reflected off her golden curls.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the girl, not seeming to notice Harold's gawping. "I just thought I heard you say my name."

"I'm sorry? _Your_ name?" asked Jerry, who'd never seen this girl before in his life, let alone known her name.

"Yeah, it's Penny," she said.

"Ah," said Jerry. "No, I'm sorry. I was just making a statement to my son here." It was at this point that Jerry noticed Harold staring quietly like a statue. He instantly tried to snap him out of it. "Harold? Harold?"

"Huh? What?" asked Harold.

"Don't stare, Son," Jerry said quietly.

"Sorry," said Harold.

Jerry turned his attention back to Penny. "If you don't mind me asking, have you been standing there long?"

"Oh no," Penny replied with a small chuckle. "I was just on my way to the beach and then I heard you say 'penny' right when I walked by and I just thought you were talking to me."

"I apologize," said Jerry. "It was only a coincidence. But I'm sure you get it a lot."

"Can't say that I do," said Penny. "Anyways, I'd better get going. It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise," said Jerry.

"By the way," Penny said before going on her way. "Your son, Harold did you say? He's sure cute. Hope to see you all again."

With that, Penny was off. Harold watched her leave, blushing at the statement she'd made about him. Jerry and the others all looked at him. Their faces reflected everything from pleasure to suspicion.

Sid chuckled. "Now _this_ is a great way to start a trip."

Jerry, one of the few whose face showed suspicion, put his hand on Harold's back and quietly said, "I think we need to talk."

_End of Chapter_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

And talk they did. For over an hour, the two of them talked about the beautiful girl they'd just met and Harold's reaction towards her. Well, actually to Harold it seemed like less of a talk than a lecture because Jerry did about ninety-eight percent of the talking. None of what he said surprised Harold. It was mostly comments like, "Don't be deceived by appearances," or "Teenaged girls can be hard to read," or the ever popular, "You don't know anything about her". These statements, and more, were repeated so often that after a while Harold had practically given up listening and would only nod occasionally or say, "Okay," or "Fine".

The lecture finally seemed to come to an end by the time the group had finished unloading the van and arrived at the beach.

"All I'm saying is that you should be careful," Jerry said as they walked slowly onto the sandy ground. "Teenage crushes can often lead to big trouble if they're not careful."

"Okay," Harold said for at least the tenth time.

The two of them stopped walking and Jerry placed both his hands on Harold's shoulders. "I know I can't make you handle this like I think you should, Harold. I just want you to make good choices. Can you promise me that?"

Harold nodded. "Yeah, I promise."

Jerry smiled and patted him on the shoulder, unaware that all Harold had heard was, _"I know I can't make you handle this like I think you should." _

"Hey, Jerry," said Martin. "You want to come with us to get a soda while the boys go swimming?"

"Sure, I'll come," Jerry replied. He turned to Harold and asked, "You want me to bring you something back?"

"No thanks," Harold replied.

"Okay. We'll be back soon. You have fun with your friends."

Jerry walked off with the other dads. As soon as he was out of sight, Harold started looking around for Penny. But just because Jerry was no longer in sight didn't mean Harold had gone unseen.

While Gerald, Sid, and Eugene made a beeline for the ocean, Arnold marched up to Harold and tried to give him his own lecture.

"Harold, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Harold wasn't happy to hear this. "Not now Arnold. I'm trying to find Penny."

"I know," said Arnold. "That's why I want to talk to you."

This made Harold all the more unhappy. "Ugh, come on. Didn't I already get enough of this from my dad?"

"Take it easy, Harold. I just want to say that you really should take your dad's advice."

Harold didn't buy this. "Why should I? You and I both know girls don't like me. Now the best looking girl I've ever seen takes one look at me and says I'm cute. My dad can give me all the lectures he wants, but I know Penny's the girl of my dreams."

"Harold, please just hear me out," said Arnold. "I really think you should know something."

Harold angrily crossed his arms. "Okay, shoot."

"Not too long ago, I was in a situation similar to yours," Arnold explained. "I came to the beach and met this pretty girl named Summer. She was really cool and we hung out a lot. Before long I honestly started to think she liked me. But then I found out that she was only using me to help her and her boyfriend win a sandcastle contest."

"So?" asked Harold.

"So, I'm speaking as someone who's had personal experience," Arnold continued. "When I thought a pretty girl liked me, it turned out to be too good to be true."

"Yeah, well this isn't like that," said Harold.

"How do you know?" asked Arnold.

"Because it's like I said, girls don't like me. And if some pretty girl comes up to me of all people and she thinks I'm cute then I know she's something special."

Arnold sighed, realizing that he'd more or less been defeated. "Well, like your dad said, I can't make you handle this like I think you should, but I still want you to make the right choices."

And with that, he walked away to join the other boys. Harold was left alone. He stood still for a few minutes watching his friends splashing in the waves.

"How many lectures am I gonna get today?" he asked himself out loud.

"Good question." A voice from behind him startled him. He quickly turned around and saw Penny, who didn't seem to mind that she took him by surprise. "But if I were you, I'd know when to tell them enough is enough."

Harold sighed. "You sure have a habit of sneaking up on people."

Penny giggled. "So I've been told. Sorry about that."

"Eh," Harold dismissed the apology. "No big deal."

"I had a feeling I'd see you again," said Penny. "And I hoped even more that I'd get you to talk this time."

"Yeah," Harold replied nervously. "I hoped I'd see you again too. And I hoped I'd be able to talk too. And since I'm talking… I'm Harold."

"Yeah, I know," Penny replied with a small laugh. "Your dad told me, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Harold had forgotten that, since he was too busy staring at her when it'd happened.

"He seems like a sweet man," Penny continued.

"Yeah, but he can sure lecture," Harold said disgustedly. "Hopefully he'll get sick of it when we get to know each other better."

Penny looked at him quietly.

"Uh…" Harold was at a loss for words, as so often happened when he was dealing with girls. "I didn't mean that like as, ya know, boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like that. I meant as… well, you know… just good friends… really good friends…"

Penny put a hand up to stop him. "It's okay, Harold. You don't have to explain what you meant to me."

Harold sighed. "Good."

"Unfortunately," Penny continued, "I'm not really in a condition where I allow myself to get too close to anyone."

"Why not?" asked Harold.

Penny looked down at the ground. "I just got out of a bad relationship," she explained. "So anything more than friends isn't really an option for me."

"Oh," said Harold, who was disappointed in more ways than one. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine," said Penny. "It's just, you know, it was a great relationship at first. We shared everything, including allowances and, in his case, paychecks. It was like we were married."

Harold didn't really know much about dating, so he just nodded and pretended he understood.

"But it didn't work out ultimately and when he left he took all the money with him, just like a real divorce," said Penny. "He just emptied out piggy bank and took off with it all. Four hundred dollars. And now I'm broke."

"Oh man," said Harold.

"It took me so long to earn my part of that money," said Penny. "And money doesn't grow on trees. If only some really cute boy could come up to me with four hundred dollars and willing to share it with a poor single, broke girl."

"Wow, that's really tough. I wish I could…" Harold stopped. It suddenly hit him. He knew exactly how he could, not only help Penny, but also win her. "Wait. I can."

"Can what?" Penny asked.

"I know how I can help you," Harold answered. "My dad has four hundred dollars. I could… borrow it from him."

"Oh Harold, I couldn't possibly ask that of you," said Penny.

"No no, it's not a problem," Harold insisted. "That money was supposed to be for some surprise he has for me, but you need it more."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Penny asked.

"Positive. Don't worry, Penny. I'll help you get every cent of that money back and more."

Penny put her hand over her heart. "Harold, you're as sweet as you are cute. Thank you so much."

_End of Chapter_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

A little after midnight that night, Harold was in his bed but was wide-awake. It wasn't so much that Sid, with whom he was sharing a room, was talking in his sleep. In fact, Harold even snickered at it a few times and got enjoyment out of listening to Sid dreaming about a riding a rocking horse.

No. Harold had much bigger things on his mind. He knew from the beginning that his father would never give him the four hundred dollars after he'd been saving it for a special occasion. He knew he'd have no other choice but to take matters into his own hands. And he'd have to do it at a time when his father wasn't suspecting, and what better time to do that than while he was asleep?

Harold looked at his alarm clock. Quarter past midnight. He'd been pretending to be asleep for about two-and-a-half hours now. Surely everyone else, Jerry included, must have been asleep by now. The time had come. He threw his covers off and stepped as lightly as he could out of bed. At first, he tried tiptoeing to the door, but Sid was sleep-talking loud enough to drown out any other sound. That sure made leaving the room a lot easier.

As soon as he was out of the room, he closed the door and looked down the hall trying to remember which room his dad was in. Before he could take another step, he heard the toilet flushing on the other side of the nearest door, which was the bathroom. Only seconds later, the door opened and who should walk out but Arnold?

The two boys jumped and almost screamed when they saw each other. They covered their mouths before either of them could make a sound.

"Harold?" Arnold asked with a sigh. "What are you doing up?"

"I… I…" Harold stuttered.

He thought about saying he was going to the kitchen, an excuse he'd used on several occasions. But then he realized that he didn't technically have to lie. In fact, maybe Arnold could provide him with the information he needed.

"I was just trying to remember which room my dad's in," he said honestly.

Arnold glared at him suspiciously. "Why?"

Now Harold realized he really _did_ have to lie. "I had a bad dream," he said quickly.

Arnold raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yes," Harold replied impatiently. "Now if you're not gonna help me remember then go back to bed."

"Fine," said Arnold, though he still didn't sound convinced. "He and Eugene's dad are at the end of the hall on the right."

"Thanks. Goodnight."

Harold quietly made a beeline for the door Arnold pointed him to.

Arnold watched him for a few more seconds and then went back to his own room. "Don't do anything stupid, Harold," he said quietly as he closed the door.

When Harold was at his father's door, he didn't waste any time. He quietly turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. It was just as Arnold had said. Jerry was asleep in one bed and Nate in the other. Mission accomplished. Well, at the least the first (and less tricky) part of the mission. He'd found the right room, but now it was time for the hard part. Harold now had to find his dad's wallet and make it all the way back to his room without being heard or seen, especially by Arnold.

He took a few steps into the room and approached his dad's bed. He knew at least Jerry would keep the wallet near him if not on him. As Harold tiptoed closer, he noticed something on the floor right by the bed. Jerry's shorts and t-shirt, the ones he'd worn that day. Harold grinned. He knew instantly that the wallet would be in one of the shorts' pockets. He picked up speed and reached down to pick up the pair of shorts, but before he could even reach them…

"AAH!"

Something seemed to appear on the floor beneath him. Harold tripped and landed face-first onto the floor.

"Ow," he said, rubbing his forehead.

The pain didn't stay on his mind for long. He gasped when he saw both Jerry and Nate sit up awake in their beds. They both looked down at him curiously. He looked up at then and smiled innocently.

"Harold?" said Jerry, who was tiredly rubbing his eyes. "What happened? And what are you doing in here?"

Harold, whose plan was now defeated, got to his feet and looked down at whatever he'd tripped on. It turned out to be a hat.

"I just slipped on that," he said, answering his father's first question.

"Oh, sorry Harold," said Nate. "That's mine. I probably shouldn't have left it on the floor. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harold replied.

"Good," Nate said before going back to sleep, "I gotta say though, when you hit the floor, I thought at first it was _my_ son. Anyway, goodnight you two."

As soon as Nate was back in dreamland, Jerry asked Harold, "So why are you in here, Son? Did you need something?"

Harold realized there was no point in trying to get the wallet now, so he decided to stick to the same excuse he'd given Arnold. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"Oh," said Jerry. "Are you okay?"

"Um…" Harold then decided maybe the plan wasn't ruined after all. Maybe if Jerry invited him to sleep in his room for the night, he (Harold) could easily get the wallet before morning. With that in mind, he answered, "No… I don't think so."

Jerry smiled and scooted over a bit to make a new spot in the bed for Harold. "Come here. Lay down next to me."

Harold knew at this point that he had to act like he truly had had a bad dream. So he saddened his expression, making it look convincing, then got under the covers and curled up against Jerry.

"Feel better now?" Jerry asked.

"Yeah," Harold replied.

This time, he was actually being honest. Even though he hadn't had an actual nightmare, it still felt really nice to be leaning against his father. Harold couldn't explain it, even to himself. There was nothing truly bothering him (except of course that his original plan hadn't worked), so why did he suddenly feel much safer and more comfortable in his father's arms? Maybe it was because it had been a while since they'd actually shared a moment like this and he'd never given it much thought until now.

"Good," Jerry replied. "Get some sleep now. You won't want to be tired tomorrow."

"Okay," Harold yawned. "Night, Dad."

"Goodnight, Harold."

Harold decided to worry about getting the wallet in the morning. Right now he was too busy playing the role of a despaired son in need of his father. And as weird as it was to admit, he actually liked it. At least now he knew where to turn to when he actually had a nightmare.

_End of Chapter_


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Harold woke up the next morning feeling refreshed, despite not going to bed until after midnight. He was positioned exactly how he was when he fell asleep, cocooned warmly into his father's chest. He didn't know what time it was, but Jerry and Nate were both still sleeping. It must've still been early then. Harold didn't mind though. He was too comfortable.

Then, out of nowhere, his thoughts changed. He suddenly remembered that he'd originally had a completely different reason for being in his father's room. Pretending he'd had a nightmare and craving his father's affection must've made him forget that. Regardless, he was now in focus and remembered his mission: to get his father's wallet and deprive it of its contents.

Now seemed to be the perfect time. Jerry was asleep. The wallet was right under Harold's nose, literally. All he had to do was detach himself from Jerry, get the wallet out of the shorts on the floor, take the money, put the wallet back in the shorts, and dart back to his room. It was as simple as that. Or was it?

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!

Before Harold could even move an inch, the horrible sound of a nearby alarm clock broke the peaceful morning silence and rang annoyingly in his ears.

A sleepy Nate sat up, rubbed his eyes, and turned off the alarm, which read eight thirty. At that moment, Jerry stirred and awoke with a long yawn. Harold groaned, now realizing that his plan had once again been foiled. All he wanted was to simply help out a girl who was facing a difficult financial crisis. Was that too much to ask?

He lost that thought when he felt Jerry's hand rub the back of his head.

"Morning, Son," Jerry said tiredly.

Harold smiled, despite the anger he felt within. "Morning."

"Did you sleep well?" Jerry asked.

Harold nodded. "Thanks for letting me stay here."

"It's no trouble," Jerry insisted. "I'm glad I was able to help. And you know I'm always here for you if you need me, right?"

The fatherly tone of his voice made it sound sincere, but somehow Harold had his doubts. If what Jerry had just said were true, Harold wouldn't be trying to take four hundred dollars from his wallet.

Still, it was no secret to him that not every parent in the world would be willing to say that to their kids, especially parents like Big Bob Pataki. So he smiled and said, "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome," said Jerry before removing the covers and jumping out of bed. "I'm going to go take a quick shower before breakfast."

"Oh, I was gonna do the same," said Nate, who was just getting out of bed himself. "Do you wanna go first, Jerry, or should I?"

"Well let's go make sure there's no line to get into the bathroom first," Jerry suggested. "Though there's only one in this house and there's ten of us, so it's a pretty safe bet."

Nate agreed. "Point taken. Alright, let's go."

The two fathers left the room together and closed the door behind them. Harold was left alone. It seemed like an easy, almost too easy, way to finally get his hands on the wallet, but as long as he could then nothing else mattered. He instantly jumped out of bed and, in only seconds, plucked the wallet from Jerry's shorts. It still felt as fat as ever, which brought a wide grin onto Harold's face. He opened it, pulled out the pile of twenty-dollar bills, and carefully counted them to make sure it was all there. After coming to a total of four hundred dollars, he smiled. He stuffed the money into his pajama pocket and returned the wallet to its original location.

He sure felt proud of himself. He'd finally succeeded after multiple failed attempts. And the fact that he was doing it to help a person who needed it more than he or his father did made him feel all the better. Penny was sure to love him now.

About and hour later was breakfast time. Harold sat casually at the table with a large stack of pancakes on his plate. As he ate, he hummed to himself. This wasn't exactly typical of him, the humming not the large breakfast. But no one else seemed to notice except Arnold, who was seated right next to Harold.

"You're in an unusually good mood today, Harold," Arnold said quietly.

"I'm always in a good mood when I know I'm gonna be a big help to someone," Harold vaguely replied.

"Okay…"

Before Arnold could say another word, Jerry entered the room looking somewhat devastated.

"Morning, Jerry," said Martin cheerfully. "You hungry?"

Jerry didn't respond. He walked past the plate of pancakes Martin held out to him and went straight to the table.

"Jerry?" Martin asked.

Still, Jerry ignored him. He took a seat on Harold's other side. Harold noticed the look on his face and instantly knew what it meant.

"Dad?" he asked. "You okay?"

Jerry didn't answer. Instead, he leaned closer to Harold to avoid being heard by the others.

He then whispered, "I'm sorry, but I don't think the surprise I had for you is going to happen."

Harold pretended to be puzzled. "Why not?" he whispered back.

"I don't know how, but I think I lost all the money."

"Are you kidding?" Harold asked.

Jerry shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harold."

At first, Harold just shook this off. He'd known from the beginning his father would find his wallet empty at some point. But then he suddenly caught a glimpse of a small tear escape Jerry's eye. It was only a glimpse though because Jerry, clearly not wanting to be seen crying in public, instantly wiped it away with his hand.

Harold suddenly felt uneasy. Somehow, the thought of helping a girl he'd just met yesterday didn't feel worth stealing from his own father. He wasn't completely familiar with this feeling, but based on what he'd heard it was called guilt. Still, it wasn't too late to change his mind. Maybe his father's could still happen. All he had to do was reach into his pocket, pull out the four hundred dollars, confess what he'd done, and then life would move on. But then he thought of Penny, how desperate she was for money, how much she longed for a new boyfriend who wouldn't dump her and leave her without a cent, and how beautiful she was. He brushed off his original thought and focused on this new one. He could do stuff with his father any time, but how often would he get the opportunity to help a beautiful girl who also thought he, of all guys, was cute? A girl like that only came once in a lifetime.

No longer feeling guilty, he turned to his saddened father. "It's okay, Dad. It's not the end of the world? There'll be plenty of other times we can hang out, right?"

Jerry quietly looked at him for a few seconds. He then put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Right."

They both continued with their breakfast, unaware that Arnold had overheard everything.

_End of Chapter_


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

After breakfast, the gang changed into swim trunks and headed off for the beach. While the others ran off ahead, Jerry and Harold walked slowly and talked amongst themselves.

"I'm sorry again about the money, Harold," said Jerry as they trotted through the sand.

"It's fine, really," said Harold.

"Still, I want to make it up to you somehow," Jerry continued. "That money wasn't easy to come by and I was really looking forward to spending time with you while doing something we'd both really love."

There he went again, playing the guilt card. It almost seemed like he was doing it on purpose. Like maybe he knew Harold had taken the money and was now trying to pressure him into confessing. If that was the case, it was working. Harold, who had hid the four hundred dollars in his hat, felt the same uneasy feeling he'd felt at breakfast: the feeling that made him feel rotten about ruining his father's special plans for them. He realized that all he had to do was reach into his hat, hand his father the money, apologize, and then everything would be as it previously was.

Harold was just about to remove his hat, when he saw Penny in the distance sitting under a beach umbrella. She was at least fifty feet away, but Harold could tell she was looking at him, smiling at him even. Once again, she'd managed to get him to change his mind.

"Well, I'll let you think of how you can make it up to me," Harold said quickly. "I gotta go."

"Go?" Jerry asked before Harold could run off. "Go where?"

"Uh… I'm gonna look for the nearest bathroom."

"But didn't you just go before we left?"

"Yeah, but… I just wanna make sure where it is, in case I have to go and it's an emergency."

Jerry looked at him suspiciously. "Alright then. But hurry back, it won't be as much fun if I'm the only dad not swimming with his son."

"Okay."

Harold was just about to rush off when Jerry added on more thing.

"And don't eat any old whipped cream."

Harold rolled his eyes. No one ever let him forget that stupid mistake he'd made on the last trip. He brushed this off and made his way over to where Penny was still sitting under her umbrella.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here," Penny said when he finally reached her.

"I told you I'd be here, didn't I?" Harold asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right," said Penny. "Having a good day?"

"Eh, but not as good as your day's gonna be," Harold replied.

Penny smiled. "I like the way that sounds."

Before reaching into his hat, Harold glanced back at the spot where his father was sitting watching the other fathers and sons splashing in the water. This was a good sign. Jerry was distracted and didn't know what Harold was really up to.

Harold smiled and then pulled off his cap.

"I've got something for you."

"I _really_ like the way that sounds," said Penny.

Harold reached into his cap and pulled out the four hundred dollars.

Penny jumped up with excitement.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed.

Before Harold could say a word, she grabbed the small stack of money from his hand with one swift move. Harold almost considered backing away when Penny awkwardly grinned as she counted each twenty-dollar bill.

"Oh, sweet money, how I've missed you," Penny said in a voice that was so unlike the sweet, dainty voice Harold had become accustomed to. This new voice was reminiscent of some hideous mix between a chipmunk with an acorn and a dog with a steak.

"Uh…" Harold had no words. He wanted to tell her he was glad to help her and that she was happy to be given a fair amount of money, but the way she was literally burying her face in it (possibly even sniffing it) made him wonder if she even knew he was still there.

"Four hundred big ones," she hissed happily. "And who says it doesn't grow on trees?"

"Well… Glad I could help," said a very concerned Harold. "But I should probably get back to my dad…"

"Harold, dear?" Penny interrupted.

Harold nearly jumped at how quickly she'd transitioned from some creepy, money-hungry lunatic to the sweet, lovely girl he'd practically fallen in love with.

"Y-yeah?" he stammered.

"You can't go so soon, not before we've even gotten to the best part."

"The best part of what?" Harold asked cautiously.

"The best part of having so much dough!" Penny exclaimed.

"What's that?"

"Spending it, of course!"

"Spending it?" Harold echoed. "On what?"

Penny rolled her eyes. "Anything we want, silly! Now let's go hit the shops before all the good stuff gets taken!"

"But I can't go now," Harold protested, looking back at his father, who he knew was still waiting for him.

"Oh come on, Harold," said Penny. "You can be with your dad and friends any old time, but you'll only be here, how long did you say?"

"A week," Harold replied.

"Which means you only have so many chances to be with me," Penny said slowly. "Surely a cute and intelligent boy like you has his priorities in order."

"Well…"

"Just think about it, Harold," Penny said with an almost dangerous smile. "Four hundred dollars and the freedom to spend it all on _anything_ you want."

Harold knew he should get back to his father and spend time with him. But Penny's offer was so incredibly tempting. She was right, of course. He had all the time in the world to be with Jerry and his other friends, but how often was he going to meet a pretty girl who thought he was cute and intelligent? Plus, how often would he be given the opportunity to buy whatever he wanted with four hundred dollars? Neither of these privileges could ever happen again in his young life. This was a once in a lifetime chance and he knew it.

"Okay," he answered.

As soon as he uttered the word, Penny's hand had his wrist in an iron grip.

"Great! Let's go, the shops are beckoning."

_End of Chapter_


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

It was early evening when Harold groggily made his way back to the house. He had mixed feelings about the day coming to an end. He was relieved to be only minutes away from his bed, especially after walking around in a bunch of girly stores all day. On the other hand, he knew what was awaiting him when he'd get to the house: a worried, maybe even angry, father who he'd promised to spend time with at the beach. He hadn't bothered looking for the gang in the spot where he'd left them that morning. It was nearly five o'clock; he knew they'd be long gone. So now, he was sure he owed Jerry a very long explanation.

Truth be told, that was the least of his concerns at the moment. Shopping with Penny hadn't been as promising as she'd made it sound. Actually, she had done most, if not all, of the shopping while Harold was practically forced to carry all the stuff she'd bought. Penny had given a whole new meaning to the word "shopaholic". She had dragged poor Harold to at least ten boutiques throughout the day and bought at least three or four products from each one, all for herself. She never asked him if there was anything he'd like to buy for himself. Come to think of it, the only questions she ever asked him were, "How cute would I look in this?" or, "Can you hold that while I go try this on?" Harold had had no say in anything the whole day. Penny had decided where they would go, what they would buy, and how much they would spend without even asking for his opinion. And each time they walked out of a store, the pile of boxes and bags in Harold's arms had grown bigger. By the time they'd finally said goodbye, Penny had bought enough clothes and accessories to make a queen jealous while Harold was left with nothing but twenty dollars and aching arms.

Now, as he miserably dragged himself home, the question of whether or not it was wise to take his dad's money burned inside him more than ever. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that he'd gotten a taste of what Penny was really like, it didn't seem worth it at all. And to think he thought he was helping someone who needed it. Ultimately, he'd helped no one but a selfish brat. He felt stupid. He felt humiliated. But most of all, he felt like he'd been used.

"Oh, why'd she have to be so pretty?" he groaned.

Not much later, the house finally came into view. If he weren't so tired, he'd have leaped with joy. The realization that he was only moments away from another lecture from his father also prevented him from being completely happy. He braced himself for the worst and marched through the front door.

He then proceeded to the living room, finding it surprisingly empty except Arnold, who was sitting on an armchair looking like he was waiting for something. When he saw Harold, he raised an eyebrow.

"Finally decided to join us, Harold?" he asked casually. "You sure took your time finding the bathroom."

"Arnold, where is everybody?" Harold asked, ignoring Arnold's snarky comment.

"Either out looking for you or helping Sid with his sunburn," Arnold replied. "I bet you can guess which party your dad's in."

Guessing wasn't necessary.

"How mad is he?" Harold asked nervously.

"Well when last seen, he was more worried than mad," said Arnold. "But as soon as I call him and let them all know you're back, it may be another story."

Harold's glance turned to the floor. "Go ahead," he said. "I don't even care if he yells at me. I probably deserve it."

"Before I get to that, where were you anyway?" Arnold asked.

Harold frowned. "None of your business."

"Come on, Harold," Arnold said in a more serious tone. "You were with that Holly girl, weren't you?"

"No," Harold denied. "And even if I was, what's it to you?"

"And you were spending all the money you stole from your dad's wallet, weren't you?" Arnold continued.

Harold glared at Arnold. "How do you know that?" he demanded.

"I heard you and your dad talking this morning at breakfast," Arnold admitted. "And I thought I smelled a rat last night when you were trying to sneak into his room."

"Ugh! Why do you have to be so smart, Arnold?"

"Someone has to," Arnold replied. "Just like someone's gonna have to tell your dad what really happened to his money."

Harold nearly raised his fist in fury. "You wouldn't dare."

"Which is why you're going to."

"You're crazy!" Harold snapped.

"No, Harold. I really think he has a right to know."

"No he doesn't!"

"Why not?"

"Because he was right!" Harold blurted out. "He was right about Penny! She never liked me, she was just using me to get her slimy hands on my dad's money! And he tried to tell me and I didn't listen! And if I tell him, he's gonna say 'I told you so' and I'll be in trouble for disobeying him and wasting his money!"

Arnold, who didn't seem shocked at Harold's loud rant, crossed his arms. "Well, I told you also and you didn't listen to me either."

"So?"

"So, you just admitted what happened to me," Arnold pointed out. "What's stopping you from doing the same to your dad?"

"I didn't steal money from you, that's what."

Harold left the living room before Arnold could say another word. He hoped to go to his room for privacy, but once he burst through the door, he discovered the room was actually more crowded than the living room. Sid, who apparently had been badly sunburned, was sitting uncomfortably on his bed while Ray, Gerald, and Martin were standing over him applying powder to his reddish purple skin.

"Oh, there you are, Harold," said Martin. "Where've you been? Your father was starting to worry about you."

Harold shrugged. "Old news," he said as he shut the door behind him.

"Hey Harold you okay?" Gerald asked.

"I don't know," Harold answered quickly.

"Well I know I'm not okay," said Sid.

"Just hold still a little longer, Son," Ray told him as he continued to apply powder to Sid's sunburn.

"Seriously, Sid, I told you to put on sunscreen," said Gerald.

"Right," Sid responded with an uncomfortable twitch. "I'll be sure to do that tomorrow."

"Not sure there'll be a tomorrow, Sid," said Martin. "You were burned pretty good. I think it'd be best if you stay inside tomorrow."

Ray sighed. "I'm afraid he may be right, Sid."

Harold plopped down miserably on his bed, relieved that the others had shifted their attention from him to Sid. He'd gotten enough of a lecture from Arnold and he knew he was in store for more when Jerry got back. He didn't need more from the others.

About half an hour later, the room was empty except for Harold and Sid. Neither of them was up for talking. Harold was too miserable and Sid was in too much pain. So they both just sulked on their beds looking mutely up at the unresponsive ceiling.

When they heard the door suddenly open, only Sid bothered to look away from the ceiling to see who it was. It was Jerry. Harold didn't bother to check, he already knew. His gaze remained on the ceiling, at least until Jerry marched up to his bedside and appeared over him looking more stern than angry.

"Hi," Jerry said in a flat tone.

Harold winced in response.

"I think we need to have a talk," Jerry continued.

Harold rolled over on his side, away from Jerry.

"Harold, please don't make this difficult," said Jerry. "I'm not here to yell at you."

Still, Harold said nothing. He was too made at himself and Penny.

"You know, I really thought you might want to spend time with me after I was there for you last night when you had a nightmare," said Jerry. "But if you didn't want to, all you had to do was say so. You didn't have to make up an excuse."

Jerry couldn't see it, but the grumpy mood on Harold's face was beginning to turn into a look of sadness. Harold realized that he was hurting his father in more ways than one. He'd been so preoccupied with the money and Penny that he'd completely neglected Jerry's feelings.

"What's the matter?" Jerry asked. "Are you angry with me or something?"

Harold didn't say a word. He was too busy pondering over what he'd just heard.

"Okay then," said Jerry. "I won't make you talk. But you know, we're going to be here a few more days. You can do whatever you want, but I'd rather spend the remainder of the time with my only son. But whatever makes you happy."

Harold knew at this point the "conversation" was over. He assumed that Jerry would march off in a huff. What happened instead startled him a bit. He felt Jerry's hand rub the top of his head in an affectionate, fatherly manner. He didn't look, but he was convinced Jerry was smiling when he did it. Harold didn't offer to return the affection or even look his father in the eye. And Jerry left the room.

"Wow, Harold," said Sid, who Harold had forgotten was in the room. "Guess he's not mad at you."

"Yeah…" Harold answered quietly. "I guess not."

But he knew Jerry truly would be mad if he knew what exactly Harold had been up to.

_End of Chapter_


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8_

The next day, while the rest of the group went to the beach, Harold and Sid stayed behind. Sid, against his will, had to stay indoors to recover from his sunburn. Harold needed quiet time to think about what he would say to Jerry… and Penny, to whom he would love to give a piece of his mind.

The two boys sat quietly in their room for what felt like centuries. Harold thought, Sid twitched from the pain, both moped.

It was around two o'clock in the afternoon when Sid finally broke the everlasting silence.

"This is a total drag."

"Tell me about it," agreed Harold. "So much for a great vacation. I'd rather be at the beach."

"Then why are you here?" asked Sid. "You didn't get sunburn. No one's forcing you to stay inside."

"You're wrong," said Harold. "I guess I'm punishing myself."

"For what?"

"None of your business!" Harold barked. "The point is I really screwed up. I did something stupid behind my dad's back and now I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna tell him."

"Why not just do what I always do when I'm having problems?" Sid suggested.

"What's that?"

"Run away from them."

Harold glared at Sid. "Haven't we already learned that that never solves anything?"

"What do you mean?" asked Sid.

"Don't you remember when you, me, and Stinky stole the rockets from Mr. Simmons' class and thought we blew up the police station?"

Sid thought for a minute. "Oh, yeah."

"Running away didn't work then, and it won't work now," said Harold.

"Then you're gonna have to tell your dad the truth," said Sid.

"How am I supposed to do that without him getting mad at me?"

Sid thought for a moment. "Well if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't dare approach my dad with bad news without some kinda present."

Harold looked confused. "Present?"

"Yeah," said Sid. "It'll soften him up and make him forget that he's mad at you. Make him see you're not all bad. Lay it on thick."

Harold's confused look vanished when he remembered that, despite Penny's over-extravagant spending of money, she'd still left Harold twenty dollars.

"That's perfect! Sid, you're a genius!"

Without thinking, Harold joyfully slapped Sid on the shoulder. The impact of Harold's large hand combined with Sid's sunburn resulted in an ear-splitting scream and tears flooding from Sid's eyes.

"Sorry," said Harold.

About an hour later, Harold was standing in line at a shop that sold cheap jewelry. In his hand were his last twenty dollars and a friendship bracelet made of blue and green yarn. He felt it was the perfect present for Jerry. It was small and inexpensive, but to Harold nothing made a better present than something with the word "friendship" in it.

There were only two people in line in front of him when he heard an annoyingly familiar voice calling his name from behind.

"Harold!"

He turned around slowly and, sure enough, the voice was Penny's.

"Hi, Penny," he said grumpily.

"I'm glad I caught you," Penny said, running up to him. "I just saw the cutest hat in the shop two doors down, and guess how much it costs?"

Harold looked nervously down at the twenty-dollar bill in his hand. "How much?"

"Twenty dollars!" said Penny. "And conveniently enough, that's exactly how much you have left. So I just need you to give it to me and I'll be out of your hair."

She then held out her hand, obviously expecting him to give her the money. Harold thought about the hard lesson he'd learned yesterday. Ignoring Penny's seemingly sweet smile and batting eyelashes, he frowned at her.

"Forget it," he said.

Penny's smile faded slightly. "E-Excuse me?"

"I said no."

"I'm sorry," said Penny. "I don't understand."

"There's nothing to understand," said Harold. "I'm saying no. And I'm giving what's left of the money back to the person it belongs to: my dad."

Now Penny's smile completely faded. "So let me get this straight. Instead of giving you're money to someone who needs it, you're giving it to some old, fat guy who probably has more than enough in his bank?"

Harold glared at her in shock. "Hey! Don't you talk about my dad like that! You don't even know him! And you don't need this money! You _want_ it to buy a stupid hat!"

Penny gasped. "How dare you…?"

"Because you deserve it!" Harold snapped. "I can't believe I ever listened to you!"

"Sheesh, I thought it was just a boy thing," said Penny. "Always listening to anything a hot girl says to them. It's worked for me before. Boys are putty in my hands."

"Well not me!" Harold continued. "I don't care how pretty you are, I'm not falling for anything you say anymore! Now go find some other sap to suck up to!"

For a moment, Penny was speechless. Then her fists tightened. "Fine, I will. But don't come crying to me when your old man disowns you for taking his money and wasting it."

"Shut up," said Harold. "My dad would never disown me."

"Wanna bet?" asked Penny.

Harold looked at her as if he wanted to say more, but the employee at the counter interrupted.

"Excuse me, Sir," she said. "I believe you're next in line."

"Right, sorry." Harold saw this as the perfect opportunity to get rid of Penny, but she wasn't quite finished.

"Remember, Harold," she said quietly. "If your dad does disown you, you brought it entirely upon yourself."

Harold watched her angrily as she walked out of the shop. He then turned to pay for the friendship bracelet.

_End of chapter_

**Author's Note:** Merry Christmas, everybody!


	9. Chapter 9

_Final Chapter_

After buying and paying for the friendship bracelet, Harold was left with nineteen of Jerry's four hundred dollars. As he walked out of the shop, he looked nervously down at the remaining money in his hands. As he ran the humble dollar bills through his fingers, Penny's spiteful warning was burning in his mind. In the few lousy days that he'd spent with her, he hadn't known her to be truthful, but he couldn't argue that she wasn't smart. She was certainly smart enough to trick boys into doing whatever she asked them to do. What if she was smart enough to know how Jerry would react to Harold's actions? Harold made his way back to the house hoping she wasn't speaking out of personal experience. After all, he wasn't the first sucker she'd fooled.

By the time Harold had changed into his swim trunks and made his way for the beach, it was around half past four. The sunset had created a beautiful blend of bright colors, but Harold had no time to observe it. Instead, his sight was set upon his friends and their dads splashing in the shallow water. Jerry wasn't among them though. Harold found him apparently sleeping on a towel under a beach umbrella, though he was dressed for swimming, wearing only a dark teal pair of swim trunks. Still, Harold was glad that he was separate from the others. It saved him the trouble of having to ask if they could speak privately.

Harold took a deep breath and slowly approached his sleeping father. When he reached him, he almost reconsidered. Jerry looked peaceful as he napped. It felt cruel to have to wake him, but Harold decided that it couldn't wait. So he knelt down and lightly patted Jerry on the shoulder.

"Dad?"

Jerry heard him and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Harold, he sat up. "Yeah, Son?"

Already, Harold regretted waking him. "I'm sorry, are you tired?"

"Just a little," said Jerry. "The others were playing Chicken and I didn't have a partner so I came back here and got bored. But now that you've decided to join us…"

"No, Dad," Harold interrupted. "I need to talk to you."

"Oh? Well sit next to me and tell me everything."

Harold nodded and sat down next to Jerry. But he had a bit of trouble trying to get words to escape his lips.

"What's wrong, Harold?" Jerry asked.

"Well…" Harold started. "I guess I should start by giving you this."

He reached into his pocket, pulled out the nineteen dollars, and held it out to Jerry, who took it with a confused look on his face.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's what's left of your four hundred dollars," Harold confessed.

"What?"

"You didn't lose it, Dad," Harold continued. "I took it."

Harold nervously shut his eyes and waited for Jerry to respond, but he didn't so Harold continued.

"But I didn't mean to… Well… Actually I kinda did, but… I didn't. That girl Penny we met the other day, the real pretty one, she made me. She tricked me into taking it, 'cause I knew you wouldn't let me have it. And then she spent almost all of it on stuff for her and… I actually thought she liked me, but she was only using me. And now I just feel rotten. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, and I'm sorry I took your money, and I'm sorry if I ruined the whole trip for you. And I understand if you never wanna see me again. So go ahead and kick me to the curb. Take away my clothes, and my room, and everything else that's mine. And let me live on the streets… Okay, I'm done."

A few moments of complete silence passed.

"I see," Jerry said slowly.

Harold looked up at him. "Is that all you're gonna say?"

"No," Jerry replied. "I'm just trying to make sense of all this."

"I took your money, that's all you need to know," said Harold, on the verge of tears. "I'm a lousy son. You and Mom deserve better than me. Now go ahead and disown me."

What Jerry did next rather surprised Harold.

"Never," Jerry said, throwing his arms around Harold. "Never, Harold."

Harold was stunned by this, but it didn't prevent him from throwing his own arms around Jerry's shoulders and weeping in his bare chest. Once again, he felt the same warmth he felt the other night when he crawled into bed with Jerry. He realized now that it was warmth that only a loving person could provide: something Penny could never understand.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," said Jerry.

"No," Harold protested. "I'm the one that should be sorry. You've always been a great dad and I repaid it by stealing from you and wasting your money."

"Harold, you've done worse than this and I haven't even considered disowning you," said Jerry. "Not even when you stole from Mr. Green."

That was another event Harold didn't like to be reminded of.

"Just remember that you never have to be afraid to come to me," Jerry continued. "No matter what you've done, your mother and I are always there for you."

"Thanks, Dad," said Harold with a sniff. "I just can't believe how stupid I was to think a girl like her could actually like me."

"Think nothing of it," said Jerry. "She's the one who was stupid. She missed the opportunity to get to know a great kid like you. But remember, you're at that time in your life when you're beginning to be attracted to beautiful girls. Now that's not a bad thing, but you have to remember that looks aren't everything."

"I know that now," said Harold, clinging tighter to his father. "But I'm done with girls for now. I just wanna be with you."

"That's sweet," said Jerry. "Still, it's too bad your surprise won't be happening. We can't do it with just nineteen dollars."

"That's okay. What was it anyway?" Harold asked.

"Well I might as well tell you," said Jerry. "I was going to treat us to the Oceanview Spa. We could've gotten massages, mud baths, facials, and hot fudge sundaes."

"Well that sounds nice and all, but… Did you say hot fudge sundaes?"

Jerry chuckled. "But now that I think about it, none of that could be better than this incredible sunset."

Harold looked out at the setting sun, mesmerized by the radiant colors of the sky. Dazzling shades of purple, orange, yellow, pink, and blue all in a vast, endless sky. The sight was breathtaking, and the other boys and their dads were missing it.

"Don't they even know what they're missing?" Harold asked.

"Never mind them," said Jerry. "It means more for us."

Harold smiled with his head on Jerry's shoulder. "Yeah. I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is actually better than all the hot fudge sundaes in the world."

"I can't believe you're saying that either," Jerry said with a small laugh. "But you're right. I can't think of anything that'd make this moment better."

Suddenly, Harold remembered something. "Oh wait, there is one thing that can."

"What's that?" asked Jerry.

"Well let's just say it's my turn to surprise you now," Harold replied. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand."

Jerry shrugged and did as he was told. Then Harold pulled the friendship bracelet from his pocket and quietly fastened it around Jerry's wrist.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Jerry opened his eyes and looked down at the humble yarn trinket on his wrist.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A friendship bracelet," Harold replied. "Just something to say I'm sorry for everything."

Jerry smiled. "That's sweet of you, Son, but you didn't have to buy me anything to make it up to me."

Harold looked puzzled. "I didn't?"

"No," said Jerry. "All you have to do is spend time with me for the rest of the week."

"Oh, well I can do that," Harold said with a smile. The smile vanished as soon as it came. Harold curled up against Jerry's shoulder again and moped. "I am sorry, though."

Jerry threw an arm around his son and gently replied, "I know."

_The End_

Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed it! But I won't take all the credit for it. This story was actually inspired by a deviantart picture by Mery1984. It was a request I made to her, and I liked it so much that I wrote this story. For those who are interested, you can see the picture here:

art/Listen-To-Me-My-Son-396794970?ga_submit_new=10%253A1377820119


End file.
